Inklingo

How to Say "rushed" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “rushed” is “apurado” — use this when you are in a hurry and need to do something quickly because of a lack of time.

English → Spanish

apurado

ah-poo-RAH-dohapuˈɾaðo

adjectiveA2general
Use this when you are in a hurry and need to do something quickly because of a lack of time.
A person running fast with a backpack, looking flustered and rushed.

Examples

Lo siento, no puedo hablar ahora, estoy muy apurado.

I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm in a big hurry.

No camines tan apurado, tenemos tiempo.

Don't walk so rushed, we have time.

Siempre vas apurado al trabajo.

You are always in a rush to get to work.

Matching the Person

This word changes its ending depending on who you are talking about. Use 'apurado' for a man and 'apurada' for a woman.

Using 'Estar'

Since being in a hurry is a temporary state or feeling, always use this word with the verb 'estar' (to be).

Don't use 'Tener'

Mistake: “Tengo apurado.”

Correction: Estoy apurado.

apresurado

ah-preh-soo-RAH-dohapɾesuˈɾaðo

adjectiveB1general
Use this to describe someone's pace or manner as being too fast because they are late or under pressure.
A person running quickly with their scarf trailing behind them, showing speed and urgency.

Examples

Caminaba con paso apresurado porque llegaba tarde.

He was walking with a hurried pace because he was running late.

No me gusta este trabajo, parece muy apresurado.

I don't like this work; it looks very rushed.

Su salida apresurada de la oficina levantó sospechas.

His hurried departure from the office raised suspicions.

Matching the Person or Object

Since this is a describing word, you must change the ending to 'apresurada' if you are describing a woman or a feminine object (like 'una decisión').

Using it with 'to be'

Use 'estar' if you want to say someone is in a hurry right now ('está apresurado'), but use 'ser' if you are describing a person's general personality as someone who is always rushing.

Confusing 'fast' with 'rushed'

Mistake: “Using 'apresurado' for a fast car.”

Correction: Use 'rápido' for speed, and 'apresurado' when there is a sense of pressure or stress behind the speed.

corrió

verbA1general
This is the past tense of 'correr' (to run) and is used when the action of running itself was 'rushed' or fast.

Examples

Mi perro corrió detrás de la pelota.

My dog ran after the ball.

voló

verbB1general
Use this figurative expression when something (like time) passed very quickly, as if it 'flew by'.

Examples

El fin de semana voló; ya es lunes.

The weekend flew by; it's already Monday.

precipitado

pre-see-pee-TAH-dohpɾeθipiˈtaðo

adjectiveB2general
Use this to describe an action or decision that was done too quickly, often without enough thought or care.
A child running with one shoe on and a half-eaten piece of toast, looking rushed.

Examples

No quiero ser precipitado, pero creo que deberíamos comprar esta casa hoy.

I don't want to be hasty, but I think we should buy this house today.

Fue un juicio precipitado y al final se equivocaron.

It was a rash judgment and in the end they were wrong.

El anuncio del gobierno fue un poco precipitado.

The government's announcement was a bit rushed.

The 'Describing' Word Form

This word describes a person or a thing. Because it ends in 'o', you must change it to 'precipitada' if you are describing something feminine, like 'una decisión'.

Using with Ser vs. Estar

Use 'ser' when describing a person's character (he is a hasty person) and 'estar' or 'ser' for actions/decisions depending on if you mean it's a quality of the act or a current state.

Don't use it for speed alone

Mistake: “El coche es muy precipitado.”

Correction: El coche es muy rápido. Use 'precipitado' only when the speed is 'too much' or lacks thinking.

Apurado vs. Apresurado

Learners often confuse 'apurado' and 'apresurado'. Remember, 'apurado' describes your personal state of being in a hurry, while 'apresurado' describes the manner or pace of an action that is too fast due to time constraints.

Related Translations

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